The hardest part of the whole trip is organizing all of the food and gear, but once you’re off, you’re off. Ahead, 25 miles of desert views and canyon walls.

Crack open a drink and enjoy the views. For two days you’ll switch between paddling, letting the current guide you, and navigating shallow water and tiny rapids. You’ll get creative with your buddies and tie everyone together, so no one floats away. You’ll figure out the most efficient way to get your cooler full of drinks to float along between all of you. You’ll pull over to inspect the views and eat some lunch.

There’s nothing to be done, except what you want to do.

Dinner doesn’t have to be simple, if you brought a raft with a camp stove.

Thunder echoes off canyon walls, and lightening gives you a brief glimpse into the wild place you’re somewhere in the middle of. If you’re me, you sit and wait it out, feeling helpless in your tiny exposed tent. If you’re Andrew, you drink a beer and watch the show.

The morning brings clear skies. The sun hits the canyon walls that begin to glow. You take it all in from your tent. After breakfast, the gear tetris of packing starts again, and then you’re off. You don’t get far before the volcanic rock tempts you to explore it.

Everyone jumps, so you do too. The water is cold and you come out with a layer of desert mud in your hair, ears and across your body. By the end of the trip, everything you brought is covered in a layer of the sticky red mud.

As you continue to float, you reach the Utah border. (You know this because you brought a map.) At the same time, you look up to see bald eagles nesting high on the canyon wall above you.

Towards the end of the 25 miles, the canyon walls begin to disappear, and otters and wild turkeys play on the river banks beside you.

The skies begin to build with clouds—a possible afternoon thunderstorm prowls. You want to paddle a little more than you did the day before, but no one else seems to mind the impending storm. The water moves slow on this section of the river, and so do you.

Just like the end of every trip to the desert, you’ll long to stay, but look forward to going. You’ll miss the wild open spaces, no service, no agenda. But, you’re skin is red from the hot desert sun and you’re ready to wash off the dirt that has made its home across your body.

“Let’s do it again,” everyone says as they part ways. It’s easier to go, when you agree to come back.

Filed under: Uncategorized]]>https://whitneybradberry.com/2017/05/19/two-days-on-ruby-horsethief-canyon/feed/0DSC_5649bradleysadventuresDSC_5366DSC_5380DSC_5416DSC_5457DSC_5469DSC_5536DSC_5575DSC_5619DJI_0031DSC_5649DJI_0037Squaw Mountain Fire Lookouthttps://whitneybradberry.com/2015/11/27/squaw-mountain-fire-lookout/
https://whitneybradberry.com/2015/11/27/squaw-mountain-fire-lookout/#commentsFri, 27 Nov 2015 16:34:14 +0000http://whitneybradberry.com/?p=3685]]>A few years ago Andrew and I filmed a gear review for Outdoor Gear TV from an old fire lookout, high above Evergreen, Colorado. Recently we thought of it again and decided to drive up from Golden, hike and catch sunrise. Sitting in the truck, on the way to the lookout, I discovered it was now available to rent. I wasted no time booking it.

The fire lookout can be booked six months in advance. Weekends were booked out about four months ahead, and I didn’t want to wait that long, so I grabbed the night before Thanksgiving. I was like a giddy kid, counting down the days until Christmas.

The Approach

When it’s not snowy, the hike is a short mile walk up a dirt road. Because of the snow, we had to start at the bottom of the road, which adds about half a mile to the hike.

You arrive at the old lookout, perched on a granite rock field at about 11,500′. There are two floors. The top floor is surrounded with 360 degree views, has two twin beds, a desk, two space heaters and an old fire finder (which we spent a long time ogling over). The down stairs has two bunk beds, a space heater, a kitchen and a window looking out towards the south.

The Views

I’ve never seen a more beautiful sunset. Below us a snow storm covered the front range, but we sat high above the sea of clouds. Some of the mountains sat like little islands in the clouds. To the south sits Pikes Peak and to the north Longs Peak was glowing. Plan on arriving at least an hour before sunset—you don’t want to miss it.

Nighttime in the Lookout

When the sunset finally faded we were greeted with a full moon. The sea of clouds rose higher, covering the little mountain islands, but still never reached us.

The facility details say that the lookout is heated, which is true considering that it was seven degrees and a wind tunnel outside, but the rooms didn’t get above 45-50 degrees. Camping the weekend prior was 19 degrees, so 45 felt toasty.

The moon was like a spot light, shining into the upstairs of the lookout. When venturing outside to the bathroom, the lighting was nice, but for star gazing choose a darker night.

Morning from 11,500′

We woke to a frost covered lookout. After making some coffee we settled in for the sunrise. I can’t imagine sleeping in and missing the show. The sun glowed behind the clouds, and a light snow fell around us. We were still above the clouds, so it didn’t really start snowing hard until our hike down.

Beta:

What to bring: In addition to your own water, sleeping bag and food, bring your camera, a head lamp for the trek to the bathroom and a camp pillow or pillow case (there were two pillows). We found a few decks of cards, but additional games would be a fun. During winter months: gloves, a beanie, a warm sleeping bag and cozy slippers are also nice to have.

Food should be put away or you’ll have visitors. We woke up to a half eaten chocolate wrapper sitting a few feet from the bed.

Respect the location. Considering its proximity to the Front Range, and just how awesome it is, I think this place is going to become really popular. No one is going to clean up after you like a hotel. Clean up before you go and pack your trash own out. And, please don’t put your food or drink on the fire finder. It’s such a cool historical part of the fire lookout and it was evident people had used it as a cup holder.

Elevation: This is a great place to bring friends and family, but consider that it’s not always easy to hike and sleep at 11,500′. Make sure out-of-town folks get acclimated and stay hydrated.

https://whitneybradberry.com/2015/11/27/squaw-mountain-fire-lookout/feed/1DSC_7744bradleysadventuresDSC_7744DSC_9527DSC_9564DSC_9416DSC_9515DSC_9488DSC_9531DSC_9561DSC_9551Paddleboarding Diamond Lakehttps://whitneybradberry.com/2015/10/12/paddleboarding-diamond-lake/
https://whitneybradberry.com/2015/10/12/paddleboarding-diamond-lake/#commentsMon, 12 Oct 2015 20:58:17 +0000http://bradleysadventures.com/?p=3657]]>The goal of the day: leaf peeping and paddleboarding. Where? We had no idea. The first lake we went to turned out to be private property, so we drove towards Nederland, in search of lakes and leaves.

We kept on driving, further and further, up a dirt road. Distracted by aspens we didn’t stop driving until we hit the Fourth of July trailhead.

We walked over to the map sign, and saw that Diamond Lake was about 2.5 miles away. Even if I wasn’t sore from running, and tired from my lack of lunch, I wasn’t convinced that I’d want to hike the board in, but Andrew was game. So, we hiked.

When we reached the lake at treeline we also hit different weather. The wind had picked up—I mean, really picked up. A crisp fall 20+ mph wind gust caused little white caps to roll across the lake.

We pumped up the board and laughed at how ridiculous this little adventure was turning out. I was cold and not so sure I could stand or paddle in these conditions.

Once the board was pointed in the right direction, the board went forward. Standing was possible, but kneeling felt safer. I couldn’t stay frustrated with our first alpine SUP hiking adventure for long—the lake was crystal clear and incredibly gorgeous—it was too pretty to be upset.

Last summer my friend Heather invited me along to Rocky Mountain National Park to SUP some of the lakes in the Park. She started Alpine Sup and hiked her heavy board into alpine lakes around Colorado. I was immediately hooked on paddle boarding the first time I got on her board. It felt natural, like I’d been doing it for years. It reminded me of paddling around the ocean on my grandpa’s windsurfing boards as a kid.

A little more than a year later I finally got my own paddle board. We decided to test it out by exploring lakes around Leadville: Turquoise lake, Twin Lakes, and Clinton Reservoir. It’s amazing how many beautiful lakes you can pull your car up to in Colorado and paddle. The town of Leadville, Colorado certainly doesn’t disappoint. Below I’ve included some beta for each lake we paddled.

After a weekend of paddling I’ve discovered that what I love most about SUP is exploring. Driving up to a lake and paddling is just like going skiing at a ski resort. Some of the best days I’ve had on skis were at a resort, but some days I want to head into the backcountry and earn my ski turns. So, with that said, I think it’s time to earn some paddles. Wish me luck, even with a board called the Alpine Explorer, SUP just isn’t made for lugging into the backcountry.

Twin Lakes:

This is my second time I’ve been to Twin Lakes and I’d do it again. At the entrance of Independence pass you’re greeted with beautiful views of Colorado’s tallest mountains. If you’re willing to paddle in chilly water, I’d suggest visiting in the fall so you’re surrounded by yellow aspen leaves.

Drive time from Leadville: about 27 minutes.

Take Highway 24 to 82, towards Independence Pass. You can see the lakes from highway 24 and the pull-off is before Twin Lakes the city.

Put in: Easy, we choose to park in day parking and hike a short distance down to the lake, but boat ramps exist for easy access.

Turquoise Lake:

This seems to be a pretty popular spot for paddling, kayaking, and fishing. Following along the edge of the dam and lake shore gives you clear views of the lakes rocky floor and the fish swimming below you. In addition, views of some of Colorado’s highest peaks, Mount Elbert and Mount Massive surround you.

Distance from Leadville: about 13 minutes. From 24 take County Rd 4.

Put in: Easy, we choose to park and hike a short distance down to the lake, but boat ramps exist for easy access.

Clinton Reservoir:

I saw this one from the road the weekend before and knew I had to paddle it. Stunning views of an alpine valley and the jagged peaks from the Tenmile Range sit behind it. The reservoir is also home of cutthroat trout, so bring your fishing pole!

Drive time from Leadville: About 18 minutes from Leadville on Highway 9 , this one is actually closest to the Front Range.

Put in: Moderate, if you don’t mind a 3 minute hike and you can easily get your board down to the shore. You’ll likely see folks with kayaks dragging their boats down to fish.

On top of a great paddling weekend, we nailed the ultimate campsite. Lately, finding a campsite has felt like half the battle here in the Front Range of Colorado, so I didn’t take this one for granted. We continued up a dirt road, further and further, until we came across an empty pull-off, next to a sea of aspens. How this spot had been overlooked by other campers, I have no idea. Just when you think Colorado is too busy, it always surprises you with little places like this.

The leaves surrounding camp where light green, some turning yellow. Our view overlooked lakes and mountains. This is my new favorite car camping site and a spot I’ll be coming back to this fall. Sorry folks, no beta on this one—if you want to camp here you’ll either have to find it yourself or join me.

Filed under: Life in Colorado, Stand Up Paddle Boarding (SUP), Weekend Adventures]]>https://whitneybradberry.com/2015/08/30/weekend-getaway-paddle-boarding-leadville-colorado/feed/0DSC_6997bradleysadventuresDSC_6829DSC_6613DSC_6626IMG_1276IMG_1277DSC_6958DSC_6997DSC_6931DSC_6751DSC_6795DSC_6568Uncompahgre Peakhttps://whitneybradberry.com/2015/07/19/uncompahgre-peak-photo-essay/
https://whitneybradberry.com/2015/07/19/uncompahgre-peak-photo-essay/#commentsMon, 20 Jul 2015 00:45:41 +0000http://bradleysadventures.com/?p=3581]]>Leaving the Front Range, we immediately got stuck in traffic. Andrew and I didn’t want to admit it to each other, but neither of us really wanted to make the five-hour drive down to the San Juans. We didn’t pull into our little camping spot for the night until around 10 pm. We set our alarms for 3:30 am.

I didn’t fight the alarm when it went off—I’d been awake most of the night anyway. I’m not sure if it’s the elevation or my nerves, but I rarely sleep well before an early morning hike. We hit the trailhead around 4:45 am and walked through the trees with only the light of my headlight. I rambled on and on, in the darkness, just to make sure bears knew I was coming. We got above treeline at first light. Our reward for waking up early, a colorful sunrise and alpenglow on Uncompahgre. We stood in the middle of a valley dappled with wildflowers and 360 degree views of the stunning San Juan mountains. This is why we drove five hours. This is why we wake up at 3 am, I thought to myself.

The hike to the summit of Uncompahgre is not long (2.5 miles), and the trail doesn’t get steep until the second half. We continued on the switchbacks, to the ridgeline, where we were greeted with views of Wetterhorn Peak and jagged mountains, as far as we could see. I hiked slow as the trail got steeper, knowing that our early start meant plenty of time to reach the summit without worry of afternoon storms.

The summit offered panoramic views of the San Juans. Nearby, Wetterhorn, our first 14er in the San Juans. In the distance, I think we spied Mount Sneffels, the mountain Andrew proposed on.

The summit was chilly, so we snapped some photos, ate some lunch, and hiked back down. By 10 am we were back at the truck. Storms began to blow in by 11.

Andrew and I had four days off to spend in the desert—the location was undecided. Zion was our first choice, but the long drive and questionable weather convinced us to hold off. We turned our attention to Goblin Valley State Park, Capitol Reef National Park, and Moab.

Day 1

We arrived to Goblin Valley and found free camping nearby, which was much more enticing than spending over $20.00 to camp next to people in the park. We set-up our tent and then scrambled up rocks to catch the last glimpse of the sun, sinking behind the canyon walls, bottle of wine in hand.

The stars came out fierce. We laid, bundled-up, with our tent door open, watching the full moon rise over the sandstone walls around us. The light from the moon bounced off the walls, producing beautiful shadows of the canyon around us. Head lamps were no longer necessary and we struggled to capture the bright moon in our photos.

Day Two

As I always do after a chilly night of camping I found a sunny spot near our campsite and soaked in the sun. After warming up from coffee and vitamin D we packed up the truck and drove to Goblin Valley. The strange Dr. Seuss meets Mars rock formations made me feel like a kid. I thought about how much fun it would be to play hide-and-seek and found myself jumping and hopping over the small canals running through the floor of the valley.

We moved on from Goblin Valley and drove to Capitol Reef National Park. Walls of sandstone surrounded us as we drove into the park. Unexpectedly, an adorable little area of the park called Fruita appeared. Orchard trees sit next to the side of the road, and I seriously wished there were fruit on the trees to pick. We decided on a four-mile hike called Grand Wash.

After the hike we sat-up camp in the park’s campsite. With a bottle of wine—paired with cheese and crackers—we laid in the grass in the sun. I day dreamed about making campsites my home.

That evening, we went to Panorama Point to catch front row seats to the sunset and than sat around our fire watching the stars. There were far more stars than I can ever recall seeing.

Day 3

Andrew woke up at Sunrise and went back to our sunset spot at Panorama. I felt lazy about my decision to sleep in, until Andrew came back shivering and frustrated with what he thought to be not an ideal sunrise. I did my typical basking in the morning sun before we hit the road for our next place.

I decided that Andrew had to see Arches National Park. We’d seen towering desert walls and spent the previous night’s sunset staring into a deep canyon, but we hadn’t seen any arch formations yet. We drove to Devils Garden in the park, and got out for a hike. I had done the hike before, and remembered it being only a few miles. We turned a few mile hike into a seven mile hike by taking the Primitive trail back to the truck. The hike turned into a tiny adventure when we found ourselves doing slabby scrambling and using a human chain to get past one deep waterhole that was blocking the trail. The primitive trail is definitely worth the extra miles on a cooler day, but even in mid-60 degree temperatures we were starting to bake.

From Arches we drove south of Moab to Looking Glass Rock. My coworker had described the rappel while we were working on our Guidebook to Membershipand I knew I had to try it. We arrived a few hours before sunset, but the climb sat in the shade, so we decided to set-up camp next to the formation and hit the climb in the morning before our long drive home.

I laid awake listening to owls and coyotes reminding me that I was in the desert. I looked forward to sleeping in a bed, but knew I’d miss this feeling of being out in open country.

Day 4

Once the sun came up, we packed up our gear and made our way to the start of the climb. The climb is three easy pitches, which we linked into two. Near the top of the last pitch I playfully tried to run, as Andrew quickly pulled in slack. The rappel is an airy one. Backing away from the anchors into a free-hanging, 35 meter rappel was certainly a fun way to start a Monday, and end a four-day adventure.

We stepped off the ferry and into a car. Our driver Poppy drove us through the town of Pothia and across the island to our home for almost two weeks—Vasilis Studios. Along the way we dodged scooters and other cars on the narrow winding road. I wasn’t thrilled about renting scooters in the first place, but now the idea of driving scooters around Kalymnos really had me nervous.

But, the scooters happened.

After a few days of squealing and begging Andrew to slow down, I decided they weren’t so bad. We took them all over the island—dodging more goats than cars.

Another thing I didn’t expect to like was the slab climbing, but by the end of our trip in Kalymnos I actually enjoyed it. The slab was sharp, sticky, and just when you need another hold, a giant pocket would appear.

When climbing gets vertical and you can’t find your next hold, it’s probably dangling above you in the form of a stalactite–part of it dripping with water, the other part feels like the ridiculous climbing holds you’ve only ever touched at the climbing gym.

Tufas drip down the wall and make climbing holds vertical. Pinchers, laybacks, stemming, and knee drops—climbing feels more like a dance.

The best part about the climbing was not just the rock features…

It was the views from the rock…

the goats and their bells…

…and the scooter rides.

Photos by Andrew Bradberry

Kalymnos Beta:

How we got there: Turkish Airlines to Istanbul, then an hour flight to Bodrum, Turkey. From Bodrum we took a 45 minute (ish) ferry to Kos and then a 15 minute ferry ride to Kalymnos. (Most people fly into Athens and take another flight to Kos.)

Where we stayed: Vasilis Studios a quick scooter ride into town (Masouri) or a 15-20 min walk. The owner Poppy is friendly and the place is clean and comfortable.

Scooters: Some folks rented bikes and others cars, but it’s easiest to get around on scooters. If you can’t tell, I decided that they weren’t so bad by the end of the trip.

Coffee beta: It’s not so good here. Americanos are probably your best choice.

Favorite places to eat: Aegean and Miltos

Favorite rest days: Drinking 3 euro wine and eating too much cheese, hiking to the Sikati cave and secluded beach below it, and visiting the town of Pothia.

Climbing in November: Whoever decided that Kalymnos was only nice until November was wrong. Crowds die down during the first week of November, but most places stay open until around November 15. Weather got a little rainy towards the end of our trip, but the temperatures were perfect for climbing. Bring your puffy for the nights!

Three extra days of travel back to the U.S. was worth it, because it meant we got to spend time in Turkey—first stop, Bodrum— second stop,Istanbul.

Going through Turkey also meant we got to fly Turkish Airlines, which must be one of the best airlines to still exist. Remember when flights didn’t charge you for everything? Well, it’s even better than that. Not only are some flight attendants dressed as chefs, and they serve pretty decent airline food, but they also give you: slippers, a pillow, a blanket, socks, ear plugs, toothbrush/paste, and an eye mask. I’m probably forgetting something.

Bodrum is Beautiful

We spent two nights in Bodrum, Turkey, but only one day seeing the sights. Off-season proved an awesome choice to visit, as the night club scene was nonexistent and the tourists were sparse. Both hotels we stayed in were welcoming and generous. El Vino hotel far exceeded our expectations. They put us in their suite rooms and prepared a special Turkish Breakfast for us in the morning. Having spent almost two weeks being dirty climber kids this kind of treatment was almost overwhelming.

We spent our one day in Bodrum exploring the city—gawking over the giant sailboats, drinking turkish coffee and tea next to the Bodrum castle, and visiting the ruins of the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus (one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World). The day ended with an hour flight to Istanbul.

Pink Hotel Rooms in Istanbul

It wouldn’t be a trip to another country without a few terrifying cab rides. Our van ride from the airport to our strange little hotel was one of those rides. We arrived late to our hotel and spent a short amount of time taking in the strange pink decor in our room, and starring at the Blue Mosque outside our window.

We didn’t mind that the call to prayer, blasting from the speakers of the Mosque, woke us before sunrise. It’s not often that you have that experience. Our day started with a buffet style breakfast with views of the Blue Mosque and Hagia Sophia. The first place we went was the Blue Mosque—it’s huge! I’m not sure the word beautiful does the Mosque justice.

Just like most tourist destinations, what you see in photos and the actual experience is quite different. It’s hard not to get caught up watching the strange things folks with cameras will do for a good (sometimes bad) photo, but we all did our best to stop and take in the views of the Mosque.

Istanbul is Colorful

I wish I had a week to explore Istanbul. The Arasta Bazaar gave us a glimpse into what the Grand Bazaar most likely looked like. The brightly colored plates, rugs, scarfs, towels, spices, and shoes were hard to resist, but the price tags made it easy.

The city is easy to navigate and the train from the airport will take you straight to the center of it all. Standing in the middle of the courtyard with the Blue Mosque on one side and the Hagia Sophia on the other is breathtaking. The city feels old with a modern twist—16 hours in Istanbul is not enough.

Confession: Outdoor Research sent me the AirBrake gloves in early summer and I’m just now posting a review—eep! I’ll be honest, I just didn’t wear them enough this summer to really get a great feel for them. I’m not used to wearing gloves on both of my hands while I belay. And, most of the time I found myself just wearing one glove on my break hand. However, now that temperatures are cooling down here in Colorado, I’m getting a lot more use out of them.

When lowering someone heavier than me I really appreciate gloves, but it’s never felt necessary. Now that it’s a little cold, I never go climbing without belay gloves. My hands are the first thing to get numb and there’s nothing worse than a long belay with numb hands.

This is my second pair of belay gloves I’ve owned, and compared to my BD Stone gloves, they are a lot more grippy and offer better dexterity. The gel padding on the palm is said to “absorb and dissipate heat caused by the friction…” I hadn’t realized that was the reason behind the gel padding, but it makes sense and certainly helps. I really appreciate the gel padding, and I think it sets the AirBrake gloves apart from other belay gloves. I really found the gel padding handy during tyrolean traverses—especially when crossing a steel cable.

The AirBrake is easy to slip on and off and felt true to size, if anything they fit a little tight. I appreciate a tight-fitting glove when rappelling and belaying so I didn’t mind. And, although it was a very simple feature, I appreciated the carabiner cut-out for clipping them to my harness during multi-pitch climbs.

Even in the summer, on really warms days, they were breathable. Thanks to a poly-spandex material on the top of the glove and little ventilation holes on the fingertips, my hands never got too sweaty.

I’ve heard plenty of folks recommend going to your local hardware store and picking up a pair of cheap work gloves. I pretty sure those people have never worn the AirBrake glove. Breathable, comfortable, durable, and with climbers in mind, I really appreciated the attention to detail that Outdoor Research put into making these.

Filed under: Gear Reviews, Outdoor Research]]>https://whitneybradberry.com/2014/10/05/outdoor-research-airbrake-gloves-review/feed/0DSC_0405bradleysadventuresDSC_9081DSC_0405DSC_0409Mini Adventures in Leadville, Coloradohttps://whitneybradberry.com/2014/10/03/mini-adventures-in-leadville-colorado/
https://whitneybradberry.com/2014/10/03/mini-adventures-in-leadville-colorado/#commentsFri, 03 Oct 2014 19:31:39 +0000http://bradleysadventures.com/?p=3128]]>Every time I head to the mountains I find a new adventure. I’ve been to Leadville, Colorado plenty of times, yet it never gets old. This time my friends Jason, Heather, and I left late Friday night and drove to Twin Lakes. The goal—sunrise stand up paddleboarding and pretty views of fall foliage—we found both.
Early light on Twin Lakes. Photo: Jason Gebauer Photography

There are two things that will get me up before sunrise: alpenglow and a powder day. Maybe, I should now add paddleboarding. Despite the chilly fall temperatures waking up early was well worth it. Quietly paddling across the clear lake with the sunrise in the east and alpenglow and fall colors in the west was stunning. I felt glad that I could catch one last Alpine Sup adventure, with Heather, before it gets too cold.

First light on Twin Lakes. Photo: Jason Gebauer Photography

After a yummy breakfast (thanks Jason) we set our sights on Independence Pass for a little climbing. The temperatures were warm, almost hot, and the fall colors were perfect. We choose an easy multi-pitch climb up Monitor Rock. Some of the climbing was so easy that we didn’t need to rope-up. Even though it was easy and barely 5th class, the exposure made me nervous. The art of staying calm and breathing when things get a bit scary can always be carried over to situations outside of climbing. So, in a way, it felt good to get a little scared.

Heather and I making our way up Monitor Rock. Photo: Jason Gebauer Photography

We made our way back to the car midday, and rather than turning around we decided on the scenic route, west. Driving a winding mountain road, with yellow aspens on both sides of the road, we headed towards Aspen.

We got home late Saturday night and still had an entire day to spare before heading back to work—Colorado adventures really are the best!